


Torchwood: Unrelated and Unfinished

by gmariam



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Drabbles, Gen, M/M, unfinished stories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2018-12-13 16:45:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11764116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gmariam/pseuds/gmariam
Summary: What it says on the tin: a collection of unrelated drabbles and unfinished opening chapters.





	1. Drabble: Really

Really

1\. Swimming Trunks

"Ianto!"

Ianto rolled his eyes at Tosh, who ducked her head and grinned. They had been enjoying a late lunch together while the others were out on a case, but naturally as soon as they entered the Hub, duty called. Or at least Jack, which meant it could be anything. 

"He's baaaaaack," Tosh murmured, and Ianto nudged her with his shoulder.

"Careful, or he'll be shouting for you next," Ianto murmured. He headed toward Jack's office while Tosh went to her computer and checked the Rift. 

"You thundered?" Ianto asked, stepping inside. He debated shutting the door and decided he didn't want to set himself up for something he'd regret.

"I did not," said Jack, leaning back in his chair. "I called." 

"That would usually imply a telephone was involved in some way. You bellowed." 

"Shouted, maybe," Jack shot back. Ianto inclined his head.

"I take it this is not a personal shout out then?" Ianto said. "Because I'd really rather not get into you shouting my name at work in front of the others."

Jack's eyes widened briefly at the implication before he shook his head and laughed.

"Always with the comeback," he said. He stood and came around the desk. "Yes, it's work related. Do you have swimming trunks?"

"Pardon?" asked Ianto, completely thrown. "Did you just ask if I had swimming trunks?"

"And maybe an extra pair I could borrow?" Jack continued, crossing his arms over his chest with a grin.

"Depends on why we need them," Ianto replied. "Why do we need them?"

"Jack!" called Tosh, hurrying into the office. "Did you see the Rift spike in—" She stopped when she saw them. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt, but there's something going on in Swansea." 

Ianto groaned. "Did this Rift spike happen to be somewhere near water?" he asked, watching Jack hide a grin again. She nodded.

"Yes, at the LC Swansea. Reports are starting to come in to emergency services about—"

"About strange fish in the wave pool," Jack finished. "With colorful air bubbles coming out the wrong end. So, swimming trunks?" 

Ianto sighed. "Yes, I have some. I suppose that's our afternoon then? Catching aliens at the local water park?"

"As long as you have extra for me," Jack replied cheerfully. "I mean, I'm all for swimming naked, but I suspect that might not go over too well." 

"Why don't you have your own?" Ianto asked skeptically. "You're how old and you've never been swimming?" 

"Oh, I've been swimming many times. I just don't have anything to swim in at the moment. Lost mine several years ago going after the shoal in the Bristol Channel."

"Really?" asked Tosh, and Ianto rolled his eyes. 

"Sadly, this one's probably true, Tosh. Shoal tend to fall through the Rift every few decades, so it's inevitable he's been after them at some point." He paused. "But the last time they were here was 1978."

"And it was a damn good time," Jack said. He shrugged at their looks of disbelief. "It was. Only I haven't been swimming since."

"Really?" asked Ianto.

"Well, skinny dipping, of course." Jack winked.

"Naturally," Ianto murmured. "I suppose we'll be needing some goggles, nets, and towels," he said. Jack nodded, and Ianto continued. "I should probably charge the underwater stun guns as well."

"We have underwater stun guns?" asked Jack.

"We have a fully stocked armory, sir. Including underwater stun guns of several makes and models." 

"Really?" 

Ianto smirked as he left the room. "Of course not, Jack. But it's more believable than a man who hasn't been swimming in thirty years!"

With that he left to get ready for an afternoon of aquatic alien catching, leaving Jack and Tosh laughing behind him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was at the pool when I started thinking of ways to get Jack and Ianto to go swimming. This was going to be the first drabble of a series centered around the question of "Really?" I wanted to write a drabble centering on each team member. There was something about someone having a surprise tattoo, but nothing else ever materialized. Since this is actually a finished piece, I thought I would start with this one.
> 
> Most of the other stories in this collection will be unfinished, because most have been languishing in my writing folder for years now. I have wanted to share them for a while, and feel like if there is ever a point where one of them demands to be finished, I can certainly go ahead and post it as a new story. But for most of the works I'll be posting here, it is very unlikely they will turn into something bigger. I have too many more pressing ideas, and am frequently unsure how much longer I may be writing. I will leave a note about each bit I post, and hope you enjoy this look into my writing process! Thank you for reading!


	2. First Chapter: Harry Potter Crossover

It started not long after Jack returned.

They settled into a tentative relationship of sorts, and for the most part, Ianto was happy. The team was working cohesively again and things were not too hectic, he'd reached out to his family more over the last several months, and he and Jack were not just shagging each other senseless around the Hub—they actually went out, had dinner, spent time together at Ianto's flat. Jack had even remembered his birthday and surprised him with an overnight trip to Porthcawl. Where they had shagged one another senseless.

Overall, Ianto felt like his life was in a good place, which was why he shouldn't have been surprised when it started to fall apart.

It was an owl that started it, a tawny barn owl sitting on the corner of the roof of the tourist office. Owls didn't usually hang out at the tourist office, and Ianto stared at it for several long minutes, trying to puzzle out why it looked so out of place yet so familiar. He finally shook his head of the nonsense images floating through his mind and went inside. Maybe he'd look up owls on his break, to be sure it wasn't some sort of avian alien.

A week later his eye was caught by a man in a cloak. They were collecting tech at a scene not far from the centre of Cardiff, and the man was walking down the pavement, minding his own business, only he was wearing a long green cloak on a rather warm August afternoon. When an owl fluttered by overhead and hooted from a tree, Ianto jumped in surprise. So many images flooded his mind that he closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his temple. Owen asked him if he'd missed a shot of caffeine that day, but Ianto ignored him. Instead, he stepped away, trailing after the man in the green cloak. He saw him turn a corner…and then disappear.

Several days later Ianto stood at that same corner, trying to understand. Was there a perception filter at work somewhere? He sensed something, but he couldn't articulate what it was. He was almost certain, however, that something was hidden from him. And it didn't feel alien, or threatening, which was why he didn't tell Jack and resolved to put it from his mind all together.

Which he would have, it if wasn't for some end-of-the-summer fireworks over the bay one night. He and Jack had gone out for a late dinner and had walked back to the Hub. They'd noticed a large crowd on the quay and Jack went over to Ianto's computer to look it up, laughing in delight when he realized what it was. He grabbed Ianto's hand and dragged him outside and over to the Millennium Centre, where they quietly made their way to the roof and settled down for the show.

Ianto had always enjoyed fireworks as a child, but as he watched the display against the night sky, he felt a deep sense of anxiety begin to build. The flashing lights, the loud sounds, the smell of ash all reminded him of something, something he couldn't put his finger on. Canary Wharf? They did say most of the survivors probably walked out with PTSD for life, but Ianto had never been treated for it aside from some rough advice from Owen and a bottle of pills. Yet Canary Wharf hadn't been fires and explosions; it had been the terrifying sound of heavy boots, of coworkers screaming in pain, the sight of blood and bodies and twisted metal. That was what Ianto dreamed of when his nightmares took him back to London, not golden fireworks in a black sky.

He was so rattled he was shaking and finally begged Jack to leave. They hurried to Ianto's flat, where he stopped Jack from asking questions by thoroughly shagging him, pounding out his fears and releasing his anger and confusion. This was not happening. He was not going crazy, he was not remembering something he'd Retconned away, he was just suffering from an overactive imagination. Probably a combination of too much sci-fi and fantasy as a kid coupled with his job as a real-life alien hunter.

The next day as he passed the castle he was hit with his strongest flashback yet: of a castle ten times larger, overlooking a black lake and surrounded by a dark forest. He hurried back to the Hub and decided to try and talk to Owen, to be sure he wasn't under some sort of alien influence. He never had a chance, however, for Martha Jones arrived, and her case took priority.

For two weeks Ianto ruthlessly suppressed the visions and half-memories that haunted his waking hours. With Owen's death, it was easy enough, and he worked himself to exhaustion every night to avoid the new nightmares—dreams of falling mortar, of blank eyes, of a great snake.

Finally, he could avoid it no more. The day before Gwen's wedding he was about to close the tourist office when a large white owl—a snowy owl, he remembered from looking them up—swooped in through the door. It landed on the counter and held out its leg, and Ianto noticed a small scroll attached.

"Oh my god," he breathed, walking slowly toward the bird. He took the paper in shaking hands and stared at the owl, which stared back at him expectantly.

"Right," he murmured. "I don't have anything…hang on." He hurried to the back and grabbed a biscuit from the box he kept upstairs for himself. Not the healthiest food for an owl, but better than nothing. The snowy white bird snapped it from his fingers, hooted, and left as mysteriously as it had arrived. Ianto followed it out the door and watched until it became a speck in the sky. Then he fell onto a nearby bench and stared out at the sea.

He remembered.

Letting his head fall between his knees, Ianto sucked in a deep breath. He remembered it all. The castle. The owls. The battle. Like a dam breaking, his mind was flooded with memories he'd suppressed for almost a decade. It was staggering, overwhelming, and for a moment or two, he thought he might be sick.

"You okay?" asked a voice before him, and Jack was there, kneeling on the ground. He laid a hand on Ianto's leg and tilted his chin up. "Everything all right?"

Ianto shrugged helplessly, refusing to let the tears fall. "I don't know," he answered honestly. Jack leaned forward to kiss him.

"I got a call about a shape-shifter. Why don't you coordinate from here and I'll have Gwen meet me?"

"It's her hen night," Ianto protested, but Jack shrugged.

"We'll run it down and she can go get blitzed with her girlfriends after. And I'll come back here with the shapeshifter and take you home, where I will cook dinner and you can tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," said Ianto. "I…" He trailed off, not sure how to even begin.

"You've been off for weeks," said Jack, pulling him up and giving him a quick kiss. "So aliens now, talk later. Get on the comms and see if you can track it. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Ianto watched him go before heading inside. The letter the owl had delivered was still in his hand; he would read it later, because it couldn't possibly be anything good.

* * *

When Jack called to say that Gwen had been injured and that Owen was meeting them at the Hub, Ianto made sure to disappear as quick as he could. He went down to the archives, grabbed a notebook and trekked to the farthest corner he could, where he settled down with his knees pulled up to his chest and opened the letter he'd received several hours earlier.

_Dear Mr. Jones,_

_It is with deepest regret that I must inform you of the passing of Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House. She died unexpectedly in her greenhouse whilst working with a particularly aggressive Venomous Tentacula. Services will be held at the castle on Monday, 20 October, 2008. All former students are welcome._

_Minerva McGonagall, Headmaster_

Letting his head fall to his knees, Ianto refused to cry. Instead, he forced himself to think logically, to try and understand what was going on. He took several deep breaths, got out his notebook, and began writing.

He wrote down people, and places, and spells. He wrote down the names of creatures he remembered, belatedly realizing at least one alien they'd caught at Torchwood had been a natural born creature of earth. Damn.

Friends. Enemies. Classes. Books. It all came back, and he wrote furiously, scribbling it down as if he could dislodge the pain of such sudden memories onto the paper, maybe even burn it and forget it all once more.

His hand slipped as he started writing about his last memories…of torture and tears, disappearances and deaths. The great battle…his first, though what were the odds he'd live through another? That thought dropped the pen from his fingers, his hand shaking too hard to write. As the vicious images of his final days up north assaulted his mind, he grabbed the pen, picked it up and threw it at the shelves across from him. He tossed his notebook as well, then kicked at the lower shelves, shouting incoherently.

Which was how Jack found him, angry and upset, confused and emotionally exhausted. Ianto stilled as soon as he heard the footsteps, wrapping his arms around his knees in self-defense, but it was too late. Jack approached him slowly, hands in his pockets, a serious look on his face. He slid down onto the floor next to Ianto.

"Talk to me," he said softly. Ianto let his head fall back. Jack reached out for his hand. "Please."

"I need to request a few days off next week," he said. "I know Gwen will be gone, but..." He trailed off, closed his eyes. "Never mind. With Gwen off, we can't spare another field agent."

"Tell me what's going on and let me decide," said Jack. "You don't ask for time off unless it's serious."

"There's a funeral I'd like to go too," Ianto replied.

"Absolutely," said Jack without hesitation. "Not an issue."

"In Scotland," Ianto finished.

He was going back to Hogwarts.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could remember more about this. I know I wrote it quickly, in a burst of inspiration. I don't read a lot of crossovers, and I've never written any either, but Harry Potter was the first fandom I started writing in, and it seemed a good fit. I wanted it to be sort of subtle and vague until the end. It's entirely possible this is as much as I intended; a story about Ianto attending a funeral is not particularly exciting, and I know I wouldn't have planned out a story involving Ianto regaining the use of his magical powers. Although, I have to admit, I do love a good story where Ianto is hiding a big secret like that, and one where it is a surprise to him and he struggles with it has fascinating possibilities. Still, I don't think I'll be taking Ianto to Hogwarts any time soon. I hope you enjoyed it! PS. Ianto was in Hufflepuff here.


	3. First Chapter: Breakup Story

Ianto stood at the railing outside the tourist office, gazing out across the water. His mind was curiously blank. He felt like he should be thinking about everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours, the last week, the last month. Instead, he felt only a strange sort of peace, knowing that to dwell on everything would do no good. He'd made up his mind, come to his decision, knew it was what he had to do. He didn't feel upset, or angry, or sad about it. Just…empty. Tired. Disappointed but pragmatic because life went on. That was Torchwood.

He heard the door creak open behind him, felt Jack's presence beside him. For a long time, Jack was silent. Unsure where he stood with the other man, Ianto took the lead, still staring at the dark water before him.

"I don't think I can do this anymore," he stated. His voice didn't waver or catch; he was resolute.

Jack didn't move, didn't blink, didn't speak for another long moment. "If you mean Flat Holm, I understand." Though the set of his shoulders seemed disappointed, the tone of Jack's voice was sympathetic.

"I don't," Ianto replied, shaking his head.

"Torchwood, then?" Jack asked, and Ianto now heard the fear in his voice, that Ianto would leave Torchwood for good. It was a ridiculous fear, for if Ianto were ever going to leave Torchwood, he would have done so already, after Canary Wharf, after Lisa had died, after the world had ended and reset. No, he was sticking around to save it a few more times.

"People don't quit Torchwood," Ianto replied with a bitter laugh. "I know that better than anyone except maybe you."

"Then what?" asked Jack. "Look, I know it's been a rough couple of days. Mentally, emotionally. If you need some time…" He trailed off.

Ianto sighed. There was nothing for it. It was time to come clean with the truth.

"I can't do this anymore…us," he said. He turned toward Jack, hoping he wouldn't find hurt and anger. Instead he saw surprise and confusion.

"Us…what do you mean, you can't do us anymore?" Jack asked. "You aren't suggesting that we—"

"That we end whatever it is we've been doing for the last few months?" Ianto turned away. "I am suggesting it. I don't think it's working anymore."

"Not working?" Jack still sounded confused, even shocked. "Ianto, we had a disagreement about a case, that's no reason to end things!"

"No, it's not," Ianto agreed. "But there are a lot of other reasons. And this case has just laid bare one big major why it's not working: you're my boss, Jack. I had a fundamental disagreement with you as my boss that bled into our personal relationship. I don't know how to reconcile that…and I don't know if I want to."

Through the corner of his eye, he saw Jack purse his lips and gaze down at his hands, clasped tightly before him. "I'm not angry with you, not anymore," Jack replied. "What happened yesterday—"

"Has happened before and will only keep happening." He turned toward Jack again. "Jack, it's not that I don't enjoy our time together. I do, I really do. But I can't balance it with our working together anymore. Not to mention all sorts of other things…you have to admit, we're a walking add for textbook dysfunction some days."

Jack sucked in a breath. "I thought things were going well," he said, so quietly Ianto could barely hear him. "I like what we have."

"Only what is it, exactly?" Ianto asked. "I know you don't like labels and categories, and I don't need a label, not really. But I do need understanding, and boundaries, and other things that accompany a typical relationship." He shrugged and tucked his hands into his pockets, toeing the ground to avoid looking at Jack's face. "But then, we don't have a typical relationship, do we? I think that's what I can't do anymore."

"What?" asked Jack.

"Wonder what we are," Ianto replied with a sad smile. "What we're doing, where we're going. What you want. What I want."

"What do you want?" Jack asked.

"I don't want to wonder anymore," Ianto replied. "Wonder and doubt and hope. I need time to figure out what I want."

Jack's head fell to his chest. When he looked up again, his eyes were shadowed. "So that's it, then? It's over? Just like that?"

Ianto nodded. "I'm sorry. I can put in for a transfer if you prefer I—"

"No," Jack said sharply. "I'm not letting anyone else take you. You're an important member of this team, and my life." He blew out a breath. "Please don't leave because of me."

"I don't want to go," Ianto whispered, turning away. "Torchwood is my home."

"Then stay," Jack said. He laid his hand on top of Ianto's and squeezed tight. "I want you to stay. I would miss you too much if you left."

"Jack," Ianto started, but the other man stopped him.

"No, listen to me. I'm not ready to give this up." He paused. "In part, because I'm not usually the one getting dumped, and it sucks."

Once again Ianto opened his mouth to protest, but Jack leaned closer and placed a finger to his lips. "I won't pretend to understand. I'm surprised, and disappointed, but I'd never, ever want you to do something you weren't comfortable with anymore. I care about you too much to hurt you. So if that means this is over, then it's over…but I want you to stay. I want to be friends, if we can."

Ianto nodded. Now that it was almost finished, he found himself growing exceptionally emotional. Until that moment, it had been easy; now he questioned his decision, and hoped he wasn't messing up the only good thing about his life. Yet he also knew it wasn't always good, that his relationship with Jack was exceptionally dysfunctional and left much to be desired, and Ianto was starting to desire more. He knew Jack couldn't give it, though, and while he didn't exactly want it from someone else, he couldn't keep hoping it would work out better with Jack. He felt stuck; being on his own was the only way to move on.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, still holding Jack's hand. "I wish it could be different."

"I do too," Jack whispered.

A part of Ianto wanted to shout at him to do something different, then, to offer something more than what he'd offered, but Ianto knew that was unfair. In a way, they'd been doomed from the start. Jack was immortal, and kept his relationships casual because he always outlived the people he cared about; but Ianto was mortal, and he knew his life with Torchwood wouldn't be a long one. He didn't think for a moment he'd find a partner like Gwen, get married and have a life—even a half-life—outside of Torchwood. But he also didn't want to live the rest of his life as little more than Jack's casual shag; it was not enough, not anymore.

They kissed, and as Ianto thought about how it might be the last time, he pulled Jack close and kissed him passionately. He cared about Jack, too much, sometimes, and though it hurt more than anything since he'd lost Lisa, he knew he had to move on. Jack couldn't possibly feel the same about him, and probably never would. And more than that, their relationship had interfered with their job, which was more important than anything. Torchwood protected the city, even the world, and interpersonal drama had no place in the Hub, not anymore.

Pulling away, Ianto ran his thumb over Jack's lips and along his jaw, placed one quick kiss to the corner of Jack's lips, and stepped back.

"Good night, Jack," he said. "I'll see you in the morning."

He turned to leave, and heard Jack murmur a farewell behind him. But he did not turn back; he walked resolutely toward a night spent alone, and a future on his own. Without Jack.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another one that I wish I could remember why I wrote it. I sometimes get in moods where I think Ianto deserved better than Jack. This usually happens after I've read a fic where Jack treats Ianto poorly and Ianto stays with him anyway, or after a Tumblr discussion about Jack and Ianto and the relationship we never really saw on screen. I may have been talking with someone about the usual scenarios inwhich Ianto leaves Jack and wanted to try a post-Adrift version, where the tension over Flat Holm was the breaking point. I am a Janto fan, never doubt that, but sometimes I root for Ianto's happiness and wonder if he could have been happier without the emotional complications of his relationship with Jack. So then I write something like this. It most likely would have continued until they got back together in a glorious, emotional reunion full of declarations of love and commitment, but then I might have had to label it AU since those declarations of love and commitment are so very hard to come by in canon! ;-)


	4. First Chapter: Owen, Ianto, and a Series of Challenges

It started with the slime.

Owen and Ianto had gone out to catch the latest arrival through the Rift, some sort of six-legged creature raiding the rubbish bins at the Hayes, but it had got them first, drenching them with the bright blue viscous fluid it apparently excreted when agitated. Owen, of course, had unloaded his gun into it on instinct, adding even more viscera to the oozing mess behind Marks and Spencer. There had been so much grumbling and swearing over the comms that Tosh had put it on speaker for them in Hub.

When the two men finally returned to the Hub, they had actually been laughing. Gwen exchanged a surprised look with Tosh, and Jack came dashing out of his office, asking if they were all right and sounding genuinely concerned. Owen shook his head and made a rude comment about being covered in bodily fluids that were not the result of a good night on the pull, while Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Could someone take the SUV to be cleaned?" he asked. "I don't want the stains to set in, and I've had quite enough of alien entrails for the day." He turned and headed toward Jack's office, which was odd, since the showers were downstairs.

Tosh caught Jack's eye and smiled before she ducked back toward to her computers. Jack offered his "Who, me?" look and turned to Gwen. "Gwen!" he said, grinning broadly. "How about getting that SUV cleaned up and picking up some lunch on the way back?"

Gwen nodded and stood up. "As long as I can stop at Bobo's," she said, grabbing her purse and already looking forward to their Nicoise salad; it wasn't healthy as far as salads went, but it was amazing. "You want to come?"

"I'd love to," said Jack, then turned away. "But I'm going to check on Ianto, make sure he's okay."

"Don't forget to check on Owen too," Tosh called as he headed back toward his office. Jack waved behind his head. Gwen turned toward Tosh with a frown.

"Why didn't Ianto go downstairs to the showers with Owen?" she asked.

"He's probably using Jack's bathroom," Tosh replied.

"I didn't realize Jack's bathroom was an option for the rest of us," Gwen laughed. Tosh turned and gave her a very pointed look, although Gwen wasn't sure why.

"It's not," she said.

"Just Ianto, then," Gwen said. Tosh nodded and went back to her computers.

"Just Ianto."

Gwen wondered what she meant, though she could certainly make several guesses. The most likely was that Jack and Ianto were shagging again, though if they were, they were doing a good job of hiding it. Again. In which case Jack wasn't checking Ianto for injuries, especially since he hadn't seemed nearly as concerned about Owen.

She took the SUV to the shop Ianto usually frequented. It was a slow day and they were able to get it in immediately, no questions asked as per their arrangement with Mr. Jones. She walked over to Bobo's to pick up soup, salad, and sandwiches for the team, and when she returned it was ready. She made a note to ask Ianto if the shop had got a hold of alien tech, or if they were alien themselves; service in Cardiff was never that fast and efficient.

When she returned to the Hub, it was to find Tosh exactly where she'd been an hour earlier, in front of her computer staring at the screens. Owen was laying on the sofa, tossing a ball in the air with the look of someone bored and hungry. He sat up immediately when he saw her. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "Maybe that'll bring back the rest of our coworkers now."

"Jack and Ianto out on a call?" Gwen asked, setting down the two large bags of food.

"Ianto's still cleaning up," Tosh said, coming over to join them around the table by the sofa.

"And Jack's still helping him." Owen raised air quotes around the word 'helping' and snorted. Gwen took her salad and sat down.

"So, do we think they're…you know?" she asked.

"Of course they are," Owen said. He grabbed his favorite sandwich and tore into it, dribbling lettuce onto his lap and ignoring it. "Are you blind, deaf, and dumb or in continued denial?"

Refusing to rise to the bait now that she'd had over a year to get used to Owen's moods, Gwen shook her head, although that last did hit a sore spot. "None of the above. If they are sleeping together, you have to admit they've been good about hiding it."

"Not really," said Tosh, her mouth full. She set down her soup cup with an apology and took a long sip of water. "Sorry, but Jack looked right at Ianto when he came back. He's been watching him ever since. They're always the first ones here, the last ones to leave. They go on more and more calls together, eat together, and practically finish one another's sentences. Of course they're sleeping together. I'd even say they might be dating, but I don't know if Jack dates." She paused. "Or if Ianto would date him."

"Ianto's not gay," Gwen said, even though she wasn't quite sure. He may have slept with Jack before Jack ran off, but he'd also been in love with Lisa and had done everything he could to save her.

"Sure he is," Owen snorted. "Look at those suits and ties."

"A person's appearance doesn't make them gay or straight, Owen," Gwen pointed out. Yes, Ianto was exceptionally well groomed and enjoyed the color pink; personally, Gwen preferred him in blues and purples, but it didn't make him gay. "Besides, we've seen him dress casually. He looks like any other bloke in jeans and a jumper."

"He looks his age," Tosh murmured, gazing into space. She seemed to realize what she'd said and shook her head, apologizing once more. "Sorry, but he always seems so much older than he really is. He just turned twenty-five, after all."

Gwen sighed, because Tosh was right: Ianto had seen and done far too much for a man his age. Maybe he needed to relax more, live like the young man he was.

Glancing toward Jack's office, she frowned, wondering what was taking so long. "Do you think he's all right? Was he injured, Owen?"

"Not at all," Owen replied. "He's probably passed out in post-coital bliss."

"I did not need that mental image," Gwen murmured, although picturing Jack and Ianto together did make a rather interesting image, she had to admit.

"You know I'm right, though," Owen continued. "And you're loving that image, you sick perv."

"Who's the sick perv?" asked a voice behind them. Jack bounded into the Hub with a grin. He looked exactly the same as he had when he'd run off after Ianto, except that his hair was wet and one brace twisted around. As if he'd taken a shower. Gwen stared, then noticed Tosh staring as well and kicked her shin; they exchanged a grin.

"Owen, of course," Gwen answered before Owen could. The doctor nodded in agreement.

"That's right, and proud of it. Where's teaboy? He all right or did you leave him tied up down there?"

"I would never leave him tied up with others around," Jack grinned. "And he's fine. Not a scratch on him. You two were lucky."

"Lucky to be blasted by alien goop?" Owen asked. "Hey, how come you didn't check to make sure I wasn't injured? I could have having a massive allergic reaction to that stuff right now."

"Are you?" Jack asked. Owen shrugged.

"I don't think so, but some friendly concern would be nice."

"Would you like me to examine you?" Jack asked with his familiar leer. Gwen exchanged another look with Tosh; these were the moments she enjoyed, team bonding over sarcastic banter.

"I'd recommend against it," Ianto drawled from the office doorway. "I'm not sure his idea of an examination is standard medical procedure." He joined them at the sofa, looking completely put together, and started digging through the bags to find his lunch. He handed Jack a sandwich, then sat down in the empty space next to Gwen, tucked a napkin into his collar, and started eating his own.

"You look a damn sight better than you did an hour ago," Owen said. Gwen glanced at him and could tell immediately that the doctor was itching for a go at the Welshman. She patted Ianto on the knee and smiled.

"I hope you feel better. The SUV is all taken care of. Krauss was brilliant, as usual."

"Thanks, Gwen," Ianto replied, ignoring Owen. "They do good work there."

"Fast, and without questions," Gwen pointed out. "Are they…you know…"

"Alien?" Ianto finished. "They used to detail galactic cruisers in the Andromeda galaxy. 21st luxury vehicles are a piece of cake for them."

"Seriously?" asked Tosh, and Owen rolled his eyes.

"Of course not," he said. "He's pulling your leg because you both let him."

"Actually, he's not," Jack jumped in, his mouth full. "Krannert and Krauss arrived about ten years ago. Their ship crashed, Torchwood found them, and once we realized what they could do with a vacuum and a hose, we set them up in business. Everyone uses them—Torchwood, UNIT, even MI-6."

Normally Gwen would have pegged Jack as the one telling tall tales, but she'd just been to the shop that afternoon, met the detailers and seen what they could do, and she could easily believe they were intergalactic cleaners. It was nice to know that good aliens landed on earth sometimes too.

"Hey Jones, since when do you get the private spa treatment downstairs? Locker room too good for you?"

Ianto shrugged, but Gwen thought she saw him tense at the same time. "Didn't want to listen to you singing."

"I don't sing in the shower," Owen said.

"Oh, I meant wanking off," Ianto replied.

"I don't think I was the one getting off in the showers," Owen tossed back as the others laughed. "You keep your suits in Jack's room now, too?"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Jack got one for me from my locker." Gwen exchanged another look with Tosh, who shook her head; apparently she had not seen Jack go down toward the locker room.

"You ever think of wearing something else beside a suit?" Owen suggested. He'd asked before; it was one of his favorite things to badger Ianto about, that he dressed so prim and proper to chase aliens and file the paperwork on it. "Especially after getting slimed by aliens? Why not change into jeans like most normal people?"

"I don't wear jeans," Jack said through a mouthful of his sandwich.

"Thank you for making my point," said Owen. "So Ianto—jeans? Hoodie? Trainers?"

"For work?" Ianto asked, sounding skeptical. "I don't think so. One of us has to look professional."

"I look professional!" Jack protested.

"For the 1940s," Gwen pointed out. Jack pouted, and Tosh gave him a smile.

"It's a classic look, Jack," Tosh said. "You don't need to change anything."

"I wasn't planning on it," Jack replied cheerfully, grabbing a handful of crisps.

"You should try relaxing a little, though," Owen said to Ianto. "I bet you couldn't even come in without a tie. You be pulling at your neck all day."

"Owen, we've seen Ianto in casual clothes before," Tosh said, now defending Ianto. "Late night calls, forty-eight hour days."

Ianto finished his bite and set down his plate. He caught Owen's eyes and smirked. "If I take off my tie, you have to lose the buttons."

Owen glanced down at the various buttons littering his lab coat. Gwen cocked her head, trying to imagine him without him; it wouldn't look right. He'd been wearing arrogant, offensive buttons since she first met him. Owen snorted in reply.

"Too easy. You're on."

He started taking off the buttons and tossing them on the table. Ianto loosened his tie and began to undo the knot. Jack grinned.

"Ooh, can I play too? I love a game of strip poker!"

Owen and Ianto shook their heads. "How long?" Ianto asked.

"The rest of the day," Owen replied. Ianto put his tie on the table and took the buttons; Owen grabbed the tie.

"Deal. First one to fidget buys drinks?"

"Make sure you've got cash then, teaboy, because I like my liquor long and strong."

Gwen exchanged a grin with Tosh; it had been a good show, but the rest of the day promised to be even more interesting.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one I'd like to finish someday, because it's a fun one and not sad and angsty. Unfortunately, I have no idea where I was going with this other than Owen and Ianto and a series of increasing challenges. I wasn't a fan of writing it from Gwen's point of view, but felt like I hadn't done that much and needed to try. So if I ever figure out the rest of the story, I'll go ahead and post it! Hope it brought a smile after the last!


	5. First Chapter: Angry Ianto

Jack woke slowly, surprised to find that he was warm and dry; the last thing he remembered was a cold, wet alley. A familiar hum came to his ears, followed by the murmur of quiet voices talking nearby. He opened his eyes to find he was exactly where he suspected: lying on the sofa in the Hub, tucked beneath a blanket, the lights dimmed around him.

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. For some reason, he was more nervous than usual, his intuition screaming at him that something was wrong, that something bad had happened. He was alone, for one, and he had grown used to reviving with someone, usually Ianto. The Hub was dark and quiet, and the voices nearby did not sound happy. Something had happened while he was dead.

Testing first his legs and then his arms, Jack sat up slower than usual. Usually he found himself reviving with an abrupt gasp of air, arms flailing as he tried to center himself; other times he came back calmly, with the same intake of breath but far less energy. This was one of those times. He felt stiff and sore and exhausted even though he knew that he was healed. It had been a painful, gruesome death, and apparently it had taken him longer than normal to revive, given that he was back at the Hub.

Jack placed his feet on the cold floor and wrapped his arms around himself. Someone-probably Ianto-had cleaned him and dressed him in fresh trousers and a white shirt. He wanted a jumper, though, and some coffee, and maybe even his bed for the night. Yet first he needed to find out what had happened, how the situation had resolved itself.

He stood slowly, letting his balance come back to him before making his way toward the medical bay. He could hear Owen and Ianto talking quietly and moved stiffly down the stairs, only to stop at the bottom when he came to the sight before him: Tosh, lying silent and still upon the autopsy table, a blanket pulled up to her chest.

"No," he whispered, staggering forward. It was Owen who caught him as he fell toward the table, toward the pale woman lying as if—

"Not dead," Jack said, shaking his head and taking her chilled hand. "Tell me she's not dead."

"She's not dead," said Owen quietly. "But she's not out of the woods yet, either."

"What happened?" Jack asked. He turned abruptly to Ianto. "Are you all right? Were you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Ianto's words were clipped and angry. Jack frowned before he turned back to Owen, intuitively sensing that Ianto did not want to talk to him yet.

"What happened?"

Owen took a deep breath. "Damn thing got her good, Jack. After it ran you thru, it tossed Ianto aside like a rag doll, then grabbed Tosh and started squeezing the life out of her."

Jack glanced down and saw the marks on Tosh's neck. Damn. He knew without a doubt this would bring up bad memories of their night in the Brecon Beacons. He let his head fall as he took her hand once more.

"Is that why she's unconscious?" he asked.

"No, she's just asleep," said Owen. "Letting her brain recover. She was without oxygen for too long. She got a nasty bump on the head when it dropped her, plus a sprained wrist."

Jack glanced up in shock. "How did this happen?" he demanded. "How could it still do all that? I shot it a half dozen times."

"So did Ianto," Owen replied. "The damn thing wouldn't go down."

Jack turned back to Ianto. "Are you sure you're all right?" he asked. "I know you. You could have a broken arm, food poisoning, and the Traxian flu and still come in to work. Owen, is he injured?" Jack ignored the look on Ianto's face, the one he probably should have taken as warning. He was too worried, however, to not have honest answers, and he knew that Ianto wouldn't admit to being injured while Tosh was still recovering.

"He's got his own set of bumps and bruises, but he was remarkably lucky for once." Owen raised an eyebrow at Ianto. "And he actually let me help him."

"Because I needed you to focus on Tosh," Ianto snapped back.

"Oh, you're quite welcome for the stitches, then," said Owen. "Since that slice and dice would have probably been infected by now and then you'd be left with one less arm to—"

"Will one of you tell me what happened?" Jack demanded, not particularly interested in their bickering. "Where is the alien?"

"Dead," said Ianto. "After it tossed me aside, it grabbed Tosh and started choking her. I shot it in the back of the neck, right where the skull meets the spine."

"How did you know to do that?" asked Jack.

"Because I told him to," said Owen. "I was still in the car when we got a match on the digital archive search. Files said to hit it in the back of the neck."

"What was it?" asked Jack. "Did you bring it back?"

Owen and Ianto exchanged a look. Ianto shrugged and glanced away, leaving Owen to answer once more.

"It was called a Teliopax. Apparently UNIT ran one down in the 1960s. We were a damn sight luckier than them—they lost four men before they figured out the kill shot. UNIT records theorized it's got some sort of exoskeleton and that the weakness is an air hole. Ianto made a good shot. Saved Tosh's life."

"So where is it?"

"It dissolved," said Owen with a shrug. "Must have been some sort of self-destruct or something, because while we got you and Tosh into the SUV, the damn thing simply melted to the pavement like the Wicked Witch of the West. I managed to get a bit of it scraped up before the rain washed it away."

"I hate it when that happens," murmured Jack.

"Tell me about it," said Owen. "I'd have liked to study something that can take a dozen bullets and keep walking."

"How long will Tosh be out?" Jack asked.

"A good night's sleep should do it, but it'll be a few days before the arm starts feeling better."

"I guess it's a good thing Gwen is back from her honeymoon in a few days," Jack murmured. Owen snorted.

"There goes the peace and quiet," he said.

Ianto had been silent the entire time, and now Jack turned to him, concerned once more. "Are you sure you're all right? Where did you need stiches?"

"Upper arm," said Ianto, crossing his arms over his chest. "I already told you, I'm fine."

"You're upset about something," Jack said. Ianto's eyes flashed, but before he could speak, Owen interrupted.

"Not here," said Owen. "Take it to your office. I don't want you to disturb Tosh with a domestic right out in the open."

Jack was confused; obviously, Owen knew something was going on. Jack glanced at Ianto and motioned toward the stairs. Ianto stared at him, nodded abruptly, then left the medical bay without another word.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked Owen as quietly as he could.

"Ask Ianto," Owen replied. "I'm not getting involved other than to say he has a good point. And watch that right hook of his."

Jack blew out a frustrated breath and turned to head toward his office. He wasn't looking forward to hearing whatever it was that was bothering Ianto, but he would do everything he could to make things better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basic premise of this story was the idea that Ianto was furious with Jack for needlessly throwing himself into danger and dying. A lot of fics explore this about Ianto, though they write him as more upset and sad over Jack's body, worrying about whether he'll come back, how much it hurts him, etc. This is Ianto pissed off at Jack because Jack getting himself killed as a front line of defense leaves the team one man down and without a leader. In this case, it almost got Tosh killed, so Ianto is mad! I like to look at some of these tropes about characters, particularly Ianto, in a different way. Here is the one where Ianto doesn't like Jack dying, but for a different reason, and possibly more important as it affects the rest of the team. I think the next scene would have been a nice loud shouting match, followed by a continuation of the rift between them. And if I'm remembering my thoughts at the time, Jack's impulsivity in the field would have led to Ianto getting critically injured, finally clueing Jack in to his issues. Obviously they would have reconciled, but I suspect I never continued because sometimes it's hard to write yourself out of a hole, and Ianto had very valid reasons for being mad at Jack here! Thank you for reading!


	6. First Chapter: Sad Ianto

"Jack?" Gwen called into the Hub. It was dark, very quiet, and somewhat chilly, at least for nine o'clock on a Monday morning. Normally it would be warm, the computers up and running, the familiar waft of coffee filling the air. Perhaps Jack and Ianto were out on a call.

 

"Good morning!" called a voice from Jack's office. He was in, then. Gwen wondered if Ianto was around as well. She couldn't remember the last time she'd come in to work and not found Jack and Ianto already there, either working or enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee (and there'd been that time she'd found them wrapped up together on the sofa, but she tried not to think about that too much. At least they'd been dressed. Mostly.)

 

Hurrying into Jack's office, she was surprised to find that he was alone…and apparently drinking tea. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, and she knew something was wrong. Really, she'd known it for weeks, even if Jack was trying to hide it; now it was too hard to ignore.

 

"Good morning," she said, leaning against the doorframe and glancing around. "Where's Ianto?"

 

"Not in yet," Jack replied with a shrug as he sipped his tea. It was fairly obvious he was not enjoying it, as he made a face and set the cup down with a sigh.

 

"Is he feeling all right?" Gwen asked, stepping into the office now that she knew she wouldn't walk in on Ianto in his pants or something equally embarrassing. "Or taking a day?"

 

"I'm really not sure," Jack replied, leaning back in his chair. "He said he was running late, needed some extra time."

 

"Oh." Gwen took a breath and moved toward the desk, sat down across from Jack, and tried not to play with her hands. "That's not really like him," she offered.

 

"No, it's not," Jack replied. "But it has been busy around here. We could all use some extra time, I suppose."

 

"Quiet weekend, at least," Gwen pointed out. "Did you two do anything fun?"

 

Jack shook his head as he looked away, rearranging papers on his desk. "Caught up on some reading and my favorite rooftop," he replied with another fake smile.

 

"You didn't see Ianto?" she asked. It was worse than she'd thought, then. "I would have assumed with a quiet weekend to yourselves that you two might have…would have…" She trailed off, not sure what she expected Jack and Ianto to do with their free time, other than the obvious.

 

"Shagged liked rabbits the entire time?" he suggested. She nodded, and he shook his head. "We didn't really see each other much."

 

"Oh." Though she'd known something was wrong, this was still not what she had expected to find when she'd walked into work that morning. Ianto had been quiet and somewhat distant for weeks, but she hadn't realized it had affected his relationship with Jack so much."Did you...er…" Jack raised an eyebrow, and Gwen left off what she'd been about to say. "Did you enjoy your reading then?"

 

Jack snorted. "Finally finished  _War and Peace_ ," he replied. "And no, I did not go on the pull between chapters."

 

"I didn't think you did," Gwen exclaimed, even though she had. She knew Jack and Ianto were involved, but she really had no idea what level of commitment they had with one another. Jack still flirted like mad with just about anyone and anything, and she could see well enough that at times it bothered Ianto. Other times he simply looked fondly exasperated, but it must be hard, dating a man like Jack. So extroverted and larger than life, and Ianto so introverted, quiet and reserved.

 

"Hm," Jack answered, and he pointedly picked up some paperwork and pretended to read it. Gwen sighed.

 

"I'm sorry," she said, and at least he stopped. "Even after all these months, I don't know where you two stand with one another. What you are."

 

"We just are," Jack said. "It is—"

 

"What it is," Gwen finished. "Yes, I've heard that before."

 

Jack set down the pen he wasn't really using. "Is there something I can help you with?"

 

"Oh hell," Gwen muttered. "Don't tell me you're upset now too."

 

Jack frowned. "What do you mean?"

 

"I mean Ianto," she said. "He's not been himself lately. Surely you've noticed?"

 

Jack sighed as he leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I have. Believe me, I've noticed. Why do you think I spent the weekend with Tolstoy?"

 

Gwen wondered if he was serious, but Jack's choice of reading material wasn't the point. "Has he said anything to you?"

 

That earned a snort of laughter. "We are talking about the same Ianto Jones, right?"

 

"Sorry, ridiculous question," Gwen smiled. "So here's another. Have you tried talking to him?"

 

"Oh, that's even better," Jack replied. "What do you think?"

 

"I don’t know, Jack," she said. "I know you're both stubborn, proud men, but maybe you actually talk to each other."

 

"Not about this," Jack said softly.

 

"About what?" she asked.

  
"Whatever's wrong," Jack said, throwing up his hands. "I mean, I could guess at a dozen things, but I have no idea, because he keeps shutting me out. I feel like…like it's me. My fault." His voice was quiet at the end, and Gwen saw in that moment how worried he was, and how much he cared.

 

"It's been hard," she finally said. "Maybe he needs time to deal with whatever's bothering him on his own."

 

"I don't think so," said Jack. "I think—"

  
They were interrupted at that moment by the alarm on the cog door going off. Ianto stepped through and glanced around, saw them in the office and made straight for them.

 

"Talk to him," Gwen said. "Or I will!"

 

"Is that a threat?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"It's a very strong suggestion," she said, before there was a knock on the door frame and Ianto stepped through.

 

"Jack doesn't really do suggestions," Ianto offered. "I've suggested any number of things to make life easier, but I've had no luck." He held out a drinks container and offered them each a cup of coffee from the local shop they frequented when they were out.

 

"Thanks," said Gwen. "What's the occasion?"

 

"No reason," Ianto replied. "Other than to apologize for being late."

 

"Everything all right?" Jack asked. Gwen almost rolled her eyes at the casualness of it. Ianto took an overly long sip from his cup.

 

"I'm fine. Didn't sleep well."

  
Gwen stood up before Jack could launch into any number of innuendos. "I only got here myself, Ianto, so no worries. I'll take a look at the monitors for the day."

 

She could feel Ianto frowning at her as she hurried out. A part of her wanted to stay and watch the two men interact, but she sensed it would be awkward. She needed to think about what was going on and how to fix it. Things had gone far enough.

 

Something had been bothering Ianto for weeks. Their trip to Switzerland and his experience in the tunnel had shaken him badly, but he'd slipped back into their three-person routine and had seemed better. Until the Earth had been pulled from orbit and Jack had left them, teleporting out to join the Doctor with their best weapon. They'd fought hard and done their best and, in the end, they'd saved the world again. And Jack had returned to them, just as he said he would. But Gwen was sure that ever since that day Ianto had started to retreat, to pull away. He was more quiet, more withdrawn than he'd been even after Tosh and Owen's death. Gwen missed his dry sense of humor; she even missed the flirting between him and Jack that was both entertaining and embarrassing.

 

Instead she watched Jack's light dim as Ianto distanced himself more and more from them both, but especially from Jack. Sneaking a look at Jack's office, she wondered if Ianto was upset with Jack for leaving, or if he simply wasn't interested anymore. The former seemed far more likely, as she couldn't imagine Ianto not wanting to be with Jack anymore. It was obvious how much he cared about Jack. Why would he pull away?

 

The two men were talking in Jack's office, but Gwen saw none of the warmth she'd seen in the past. There were few smiles, and they didn't touch, separated by the desk. Ianto stood stiffly before Jack, sipping at his coffee. She could see the pain and disappointment on Jack's face as Ianto turned and left, and decided then that she would try to talk to Ianto. Maybe he needed a friend to talk to and not a lover. Whatever it was, she would figure it out, because both men deserved to be happy.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I abandoned this one because…well, I don't remember why. And at this point I honestly don't even remember what was going on with Ianto. I don’t remember if it involved actual plot (like a case) or was just about Jack and Ianto's relationship post Exit Wounds. I've often thought they might have gone through some rough patches after Tosh and Owen died, and I enjoy turning the idea that Jack caused a lot of their relationship problems on its head and letting Ianto screw up too. Maybe I have notes somewhere as I tend to write a lot of things down, but at this point I have too many other things to finish and share that are far more interesting. But I thought it was a good, mysterious start. And it was from Gwen's point of view, which I don't do much. I think I'll share another post-EW story as well, a much longer look at Jack and Ianto falling apart. Ianto actually transfers to Torchwood Two, where I'd hoped to write another timey-whimey story that never came together. Thanks for reading!


	7. First Chapter: Post-Meat confrontation

They all watched uncomfortably as Gwen left the Hub, her face victorious, while Jack stormed furiously into his office. Through the window, Ianto saw Jack at his computer and knew exactly what the man was doing, what he was watching. Downing the rest of his drink in one quick pull, Ianto contemplated pouring another, only he would have to go back into Jack's office to do so, and he did not want to do that just then. And if he was going to get soused after all that had happened, he'd rather not do it at the Hub with Jack around; better to wallow in it alone and try to figure out what the hell had just happened.

He made his way back to his station, but stopped when he heard Owen behind him.

"He's such an arsehole," the doctor said, glaring daggers at the office.

"Owen!" said Tosh, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Jack hadn't heard, as if it mattered. Jack was in his own world right then, a world none of them were a part of.

"What?" asked Owen. "He is. He's a righteous bastard sometimes, and this was definitely one of those times."

"He's just worried about security—" Tosh began, but Owen waved her off.

"You know Williams checked out months ago. He's perfectly safe. That's not what I'm talking about." He stopped pacing and looked at them with piercing, angry eyes. "And you both know it."

Ianto shrugged and turned away, even though he knew perfectly well what Owen was referring to; he just didn't care to get involved, at least not until he had worked it out in his own mind. He began to shut down his station, half listening to Owen rant.

"If any one of us were to leave, he'd escort us out the door," Owen said. "Hell, he fired me without a second thought."

Ianto knew that wasn't true; Jack had been angry, yes, but he'd also been torn apart by what had happened between him and Owen. Jack made the hard decisions no one else could make, sometimes on impulse, and that had been one that he'd truly regretted. Still, Ianto didn't say anything, not being in the mood to challenge Owen's incorrect assumption.

"I don't think that's true," Tosh said. Apparently she  _was_  in the mood to defend Jack. "That was hard for him. He cares about all of us."

"Bollocks," Owen snorted. "Maybe he does care, but he cares about her a lot more. That wasn't professional, that was personal."

"What do you mean?" asked Tosh. She too had started to clean up her station, which was unusual as she normally stayed late, even after closing a case. Owen just left his, stomping over to the cog door, but obviously waiting for them.

"I mean he'd shag her in a heartbeat if she wasn't so bloody attached to that oaf of a fiancé." He paused. "Or maybe if he wasn't shagging the tea boy."

Ianto froze. He heard Tosh suck in a breath, but she was silent as well. Picking up his coat, Ianto made his way down toward the door and stopped in front of Owen.

"You're not one to talk," he said softly. They all knew that Owen and Gwen had carried on for several months. Owen shrugged unapologetically.

"Yeah, I shagged her, but it was over ages ago. Unlike you and the boss's cock."

Another deep breath. "Sometimes I think you want me to shoot your other shoulder," Ianto replied as calmly as he could. Really, he wanted to punch the man in the face. Too many times the doctor made cutting remarks about him and Jack. The problem was that sometimes, Ianto wasn't sure whether or not Owen was right.

"Go ahead." Owen shrugged, the look on his face a cross between a sneer and a sad smile. "It's not like Jack would care. We could all Retcon ourselves right now, and he'd be free to find himself a new team and start over with Gwen."

"It's not like that, Jack and Gwen," Ianto said. He didn't quite believe it after the heated exchange between them earlier, but he felt a twisted sense of loyalty and the need to defend Jack even if it hurt to do so.

"Oh, what's it like, then?" Owen asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because what I saw was a man who lost something vitally important to him just now, a man who could care less if it was any one of us who threatened to leave."

"You're wrong," Ianto said, but he was only trying to convince himself. Because if Owen saw it, then it meant Ianto was not just imagining things. It was out there, it was real, and it hurt.

"And you're second choice," Owen replied.

Ianto didn't even bother to stop it: his fist curled on its own, and he pulled back to hit Owen hard on the jaw, shaking out bruised fingers while Owen placed a hand to his face. It must have been a solid hit because Owen swore and spit blood.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Jones?"

"Sod off, you bloody prick," Ianto muttered under his quick breathing. He felt his hand twitch almost involuntarily, but Tosh came up and stepped between them.

"Stop it," she snapped, glancing back at Jack's office. "This is not the place for fighting. Let's just call it a night and go home."

Ianto glared at Owen, who glowered right back. "Fine," Owen finally said. "I'm going to the Dockside first. You two coming?"

Tosh glanced between them. Ianto smiled at her, ignoring Owen. "You go ahead. I'm heading home early."

"You're not going to talk to him?" she asked softly.

"Oh no," he replied quickly, resisting the impulse to let his eyes flick toward Jack's office. "Not tonight. No, no, no."

"Good for you," said Owen. "You don't owe him anything." Ianto cringed. It was not good, because it bothered him. He didn't want to stay, but he didn't want to leave either. He tried to think of something to say, but at that moment Jack stepped out of his office and frowned when he saw them all standing at the door, Ianto rubbing his knuckles and Owen massaging his jaw. He raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything about it.

"Going home?" he asked casually instead, hands in his pockets.

"Been a long day," Owen said shortly. "So yes, I'm off leaving." He turned and walked out without another word, leaving Tosh and Ianto staring after him. There was an awkward silence that seemed to draw the air from the room.

"Ianto, could I see you for a minute? Make sure we've covered all our tracks with this case?"

Ianto took a deep breath and tried to hold back a grimace. Now he definitely did not want to stay; he wanted to walk out with Tosh and would even put up with Owen's shit for the night before he looked Jack in the face. Apparently Tosh could sense this, for she kissed him on the cheek and murmured in his ear.

"Call me if you need to," she whispered. "We'll be at the pub." He gave her a quick hug and watched her leave before reluctantly following Jack into the office.

Jack seemed calmer, somehow, but the confrontation with Gwen and Owen's words about them both swirled around Ianto's mind.  _Second choice._  They were words he'd thought about several times, and they stung hearing them from someone else. Ianto stood stiffly just inside the doorway, at first waiting for Jack to speak, but then deciding he'd rather get it over with and get the hell out of there.

"Everything's taken care of, sir," he offered, hoping to escape quickly. "The creature, the men, the warehouse, all the records. I'm not sure what else we need to do."

"What was that about?" Jack asked instead, leaning against his desk and facing Ianto with a concerned look on his face. "Is everything all right?"

Ianto glanced behind him as he tried to think of an answer that wouldn't require an explanation. "Everything's fine, sir. Just talking about the case."

Jack nodded slowly. "So that's why Owen bolted, Tosh didn't say goodbye, and you won't even look at me?"

Ianto forced himself to meet Jack's eyes with a raised eyebrow. "More or less, sir." He knew Jack hated it when he called him 'sir' too often, because it put a distance between them that Jack didn't want when they were alone. He also knew that Jack would pick up on it, but he couldn't help it: right then he wanted that distance. He wanted to leave.

"Drop the formality, Ianto," Jack said, waving his hand through the air. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Jack." Hopefully that would mollify him a bit, but Jack shook his head.

"I don't believe you. Tell me what's going on. Please."

Ianto thought about resisting, about leaving Jack in a strop just like he deserved and walking out to join Tosh and Owen. But the anger he'd held in check for so long blossomed into a cold resentment at Jack's utter cluelessness.

"They think you're an arsehole," he finally said with a shrug. "Sir."

Jack looked even more puzzled than before. "What? They who?"

Ianto inclined his head. "The others."

"I see." Jack brought a hand to his chin, his eyes crinkled with hurt. Ianto tried not to feel badly about that, because Owen was right: sometimes Jack was a complete prat.

"And you?" Jack asked.

Ianto kept his face impassive. "I'd have to agree with them."

Jack looked a bit like he'd been slapped, and Ianto felt a grim satisfaction at that, followed quickly by a twinge of guilt that he pushed away.

"You wanted to know. Good night, sir."

He turned and left the office without another word. He had almost reached the cog door when Jack came running out in his greatcoat.

"Ianto, wait!" he called. "You can't leave now, not after that. Why am I such an arsehole? What did I do?"

Ianto continued walking, striding up the stairs silently as he contemplated his answer. He puttered around the tourist office to make sure everything was in order, then finally turned to Jack.

"Look, Jack, I don't really want to talk about it. It's been a long day and I want to go home."

"Can I give you a ride?" Jack asked, following him outside.

"I've got my car," Ianto said wearily as he locked the door.

"How are your wrists? That bruise on your face looks worse, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Ianto said, stopping and turning to him again. Frankly, he was surprised Jack had even asked about his injuries him given his preoccupation with Gwen. "A bit sore, that's all. I just want to go home and put my feet up." He softened his words, hoping it would lull Jack into a false sense of security so he could escape. "Good night, Jack."

"Ianto, tell me what I did wrong!" Jack exclaimed, and Ianto almost laughed at the completely oblivious sense of desperation in Jack's words.

"Jack, I don't want to talk about it now."

"When?" Jack asked as he finally stopped and let Ianto walk off on his own.

"I don't know," Ianto tossed over his shoulder.

"How about a late dinner?" Jack called.

"I'm not hungry," Ianto returned.

"Breakfast?" he tried.

"I was planning on bringing something in. I'll see you tomorrow." He picked up his pace, because if he didn't leave he'd get into it right there on the Plass and it would get ugly. Jack did not call out to him, and Ianto wasn't sure whether he was glad or disappointed. Either way, he decided not to meet Tosh and Owen at the Dockside and head straight home instead. He had a lot to think about.

Was Owen right? Did Gwen mean that much more to Jack? Was Ianto really a second choice, a consolation prize for the woman Jack couldn't have?

And if so, was that enough or did he deserve more?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is several years old, something I started in one of my more righteous "Jack is a jerk and Ianto deserves better!" moods. I started a second part, from Jack's point of view, where he starts to realize what a jerk he was, and then a third, back in Ianto's point of view, where Jack shows up the next morning with breakfast to apologize. But it never went anywhere. I didn't feel like there was much original about it, other than Ianto's actual anger, expressed both to Owen and to Jack, which I felt was often repressed in the series. Jack did a lot of dumb things, but was Ianto actually upset, or did he accept it as Jack? Sometimes I still feel like this is one of Jack's bigger screw-ups, but other times I feel like Ianto is smart enough to understand the deeper context. Then I wonder if he really was that wise for a 25-year-old guy, and we certainly know he wasn't very secure in his relationship with Jack, so maybe he was rattled. I don't know! And I never knew how far to take it - does Ianto leave Jack, does he come back? - plus I wanted something extra besides the Meat follow-up and could never quite settle on what that was. So unfinished it remains.


End file.
